E-Cigarette Explosion Lawyer

Were You Harmed by a Defective Product?

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes or personal vaporizers, have risen in popularity through their being marketed as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco. As more people turn to e cigarettes, or “vaping,” however, it has become clear that serious e cig dangers include explosion injuries and burns. As national product liability lawyers who fight for the rights of injured victims, Edelman Krasin & Jaye is positioned to seek full and fair recovery by filing an e-cigarette explosion lawsuit on behalf of victims.

Efest IMR 18659 3.7V LI-MN 35A battery danger warning

The e-cig explosion danger mainly lies in the battery unit. The Efest IMR 18659 3.7V LI-MN 35A is a battery commonly used for vaporizers, but reports of malfunction suggest that this battery is dangerous and defective. It has been known to short out, explode, catch fire and cause significant harm and burns.

The 4.2 volt charger commonly sold with the battery can supercharge it to the point of explosion. Users have also been injured after using third-party chargers. Contact with metal can also cause problems; if the device is kept in a pocket with keys or coins, the battery can short out and explode.

The e-cigarette explosion lawyers at Edelman Krasin & Jaye want to alert e-cigarette users about the potential dangers of this battery. Anyone who experiences injuries after an e-cig explosion or other malfunction involving this battery should contact the firm without delay for a free consultation to discuss their legal rights to compensation.

Are e cigarettes safe?

Unlike regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes are not regulated, so the full scope of health risks is not yet known. Increasingly, e-cigs are to blame for burns and other explosion injuries, often related to the lithium-ion batteries that power them.

The U.S. Fire Administration undertook an investigation into e-cigarette explosions in late October 2014. It found that explosions were becoming more common. Most explosions happened while charging the battery, while some happened while the e-cig was being used or transported. Because the National Fire Incident Reporting System does not yet track e-cigarette fire data, the agency relied on reports from the media, which it believes underreports incidents.

E-cigarette injuries have the potential to be serious. In late February 2016, a gas station surveillance camera captured a man’s leg catching fire as he placed coins in his pocket, which led to an explosion. Josh Hamilton, of Owensboro, Kentucky, suffered second-degree burns over his legs. Daniel Califf, a former pro soccer player from California, sued the manufacturer in late 2015 after his e-cig exploded while he was using it. The explosion blew a hole through his cheek and caught the room on fire.

Amid the growing concerns, both the FDA and the American Medical Association are weighing in on the safety of personal vaporizers. The AMA has lobbied for regulation of the products while the FDA has undertaken an investigation of e cigarette dangers with an eye toward adopting regulations.

What to do if your e-cigarette explodes

If your e-cigarette explodes, the first thing to do is protect yourself and others. Once you have contained the fire and limited your injuries, follow these steps:

Save the evidence, including the e-cigarette device and charger, clothes you were wearing if they caught fire, and damaged items

Obtain names and contact information for witnesses

Document your injuries

Collect complete related medical records

Determine whether any surveillance video captured the explosion

Contact a product liability attorney

Electronic cigarette injury lawsuits

Electronic cigarettes have literally exploded in recent years. There were over 50 injury reports to the FDA over the 5-year period from March 2009 to March 2013. But with the rise in use of e-cigarettes, there were just as many complaints in only one year, from March 2013 to March 2014. This has led to a growing number of electronic cigarette injury lawsuits alleging that the product is not safe and the manufacturers and sellers have not warned of their danger.

Califf, from California, is only one e-cigarette user to file a lawsuit in recent years. Two other California men also filed personal injury lawsuits in late 2015. Vincente Garza, of Bakersfield, was seriously injured when his device exploded while he was inhaling. His tongue and mouth were burned and a finger was amputated. Gregory Phillips, also of Bakersfield, received burns on his leg that required skin grafts when the battery exploded in his pocket.

In September 2015, Jennifer Ries of California became the first plaintiff to win an award for injuries in an e-cigarette lawsuit. Ries plugged her e-cig into her car charger as she and her husband headed to the airport for an international flight. They missed their flight because the battery exploded, catching Ries’ dress and seat on fire. Her husband put out the fire by dousing her in an iced coffee.

A Riverside County awarded Ries $1.9 million in her lawsuit against the distributor, wholesaler and store where she bought it. Her e-cig lawsuit alleged the product was not safe and the defendant failed to warn about known dangers.

How to file an electronic cigarette explosion lawsuit

Electronic cigarette explosion lawsuits are a relatively new development in “vaping,” as the reports of injuries rise. Users who are injured in an explosion may be able to recover compensation for their injuries if the manufacturers and distributors did not provide a safe product or proper e-cigarette warnings.

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from an e-cigarette fire, contact a personal injury lawyer at Edelman, Krasin & Jaye for a free legal consultation. Our lawyers have been representing injury victims for more than half a century. YOUR success is OUR success – we fight with passion and are always available to answer your questions or address your concerns. Call us toll free at 800-469-7429 to speak with a product liability lawyer today.

E-cig burn and injury articles

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About Edelman, Krasin & Jaye

Edelman, Krasin & Jaye is a personal injury law firm with offices throughout New York including Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Long Island. Edelman Krasin & Jaye represents victims from all over the country in serious personal injury lawsuits, class action lawsuits, labor law issues, federal claims and pharmaceutical mass torts. We offer free legal consultation and accept cases on a contingency basis; there is never a charge unless we win compensation on your behalf.

The content of this website has been prepared by Edelman, Krasin & Jaye, Personal Injury Lawyers based in New York, for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The material posted on this website neither creates, nor receipt of it creates, a lawyer-client relationship, and readers should not act upon it without seeking professional counsel. This website contains attorney advertising. Past outcomes are not indicative of future results.